Universal joint.



At D ROBBINS.

UNIVERSAL JONT.

APPLICATION mman 11,111.254 19u.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

N aww UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFONZO DAVIS ROBBINS, F FREEPORT, yNEVI YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GRACE R. ROBBINS. 0F FREEPORT, NEW' YORK.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, ALFoXzo'I). ItonnlNS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Freeport, in the town of Hempstead, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improv(L ment in Universal Joints in Connection with Stern-Bearings for Boats, of which the following is a specification.

yMy invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in universal joints especially7 designed for useiin connection with marine propeller shafts.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an outside universal joint in connection with a stern bearing which may be adjusted to permity the propeller shaft to he run at an angle to the driving shaft and parallel with the water line. It is also adapted to take the thrust of the propeller from'the motor or engine and communicate said thrust to the shaft-log or deadwood of the boat.

It is universal in practice to run a con tinuous shaft, in connection with a strut, from motor or engine through the stern bearing and strut so that no matter how accurately lined up they mag,7 be there is in most cases a vibration due. to the action of the Amotor or engine, thus buckling the shaft at the stern hearing occasioning an excessive wear on said shaft at that` point, and also reducing the speed of the boat. If a universal jointbe installed on the shaft in the interior o'f the boat `there still remains the third bearing through which a continuous shaft passes, thus giving little or no relief. Again, it is conunon practice in powcrboat fitting to allow the motor or engine to take. thethrust of the propeller,' thus causing an'eXcessivc, strain 0n the hull and, in some instances, causing what is termed a broken Also','a propeller revolving with a lshaft `running at; an angle with the water line atfords less` forward thrust than one adjusted to run parallel with the water line.

Theobject of this invention, therefore, is

'to overcome the ahove mentioned objections incident to the old method of shaft alineinent andfpropeller thrust, and this is accomplished by providing a new and simple outside universal joint in connection with a ystern bearing` which I will now proceed to flcscrib in detail so that others skilledln the art ma)v be enabled to make and use said Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 25, 1911.

.'entire length.

Serial No. 616,980.

invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. wherein similar reference characters indicate similar parts in all the Figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a boat with the device applied; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the device applied to the deadwood of the boat; Fig. 3 is a detail. side elevation of the working parts` of this improved universal joint; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the hollow sleeve; Fig. 5 is a similar view of the cap.

Referring to the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, l indicates the keel of a boat on which is secured a metal shaft log 2.

3 is a Banged spherical seat having in its flanges apertures through which bolts 4 may be passed. Seated upon said spherical seat 3 is a hollow spherical head 5 provided with an ott-standing sleeve which is shown exteriorly threaded substantially its entire length. Passing through said hollow head and olf-standing sleeve is a connecting chuck (l containing a square and tapered cavity 7 in one end and a cylindrical tubular exten# sion S at its opposite end. which end S eX-l tends bevond the end of the off-standing sleeve of theI head 5 and is evteriorl)r screw threaded. A collar 9 is threaded internally and secured on the projecting end S of the connecting chuck and between said collar and the end' of the olf-standing sleeve 5 of the head Q is a cavity or recess 10 formed by the concaved adjacent ends of said collar and the off-standing sleeve 5 of t-he head 5 forming a ball race in which are disposcdi balls 11 thus creating a ball bearing which takes the thrust of the propeller. Then a motor or engine of low Apower is to be used` the above described cavity 10 is dispensed with and a space left in which Bab.- hitt Ametal washers are inserted which answer the saine purpose as the balls. r)ver the collar 9 and threaded on the sleeve 5 of the head 5 and engaged and locked bv a lock nut 1Q is'ia sleeved cap 13. the sleeve 13 of which is exteriorly threaded throughout its A driving 'shaft 14 provided with asquare and tapered inner end 14 asses through an Patented Dec. 19, 1911. I

enlarged aperture in the sp ierical seat 3 an l said chuck when said( shaft is actuated. A convexcd washer 15 encircles said driving shaft and is titled against the inside wall of the spherical scat to prevent the escape of the lubricant. A propeller shaft 16 enters and is secured in the cylindrical extension of the connecting chuck G revolving with said connecting chuck and -driving shaft l-l. A packing cap 17 threaded onto the sleeve 13 of the cap 13 is engaged and prevented from revolving with the propeller shaft 16 by a lock nut 18 formin a chamber 19 into which and surroundl said propeller shaft is placed a suitable packing (not shown) to prevent leakage. A flanged clamping ca 20 is concaved to make a nea't fit aroundp the surface of the spherical head 5 between which cap and head is inter osed a packing composed of graphite or wliite lead to make a water tight joint. Aperturas in the Hanges corres ond with thc apertures in the flanges o the .spherical seat 3 through which the bolts 4 are passed. The propeller shaft 16 asses through a strut (not Shown) to obtain the desired angle of said pro ellcr shaft. When said strut has been attac led to the boatand the propeller shaft is in its bearing' in said strut and secured in the cylindrical extension 8 and the bolts 4 are 1n place, but not turned up enough to hold the sleeved spherical head 5 rigid, the universal oint will adjust itself. Tightening the bo ts 4`and clamping cap 20 in conjunction with said strut. holds the propeller shaft and universal joint in place and at the same time secures the completed device to the Shaft lo or dcadwood of the boat. An oval shaped stop 21 in the flanged clam ing cap 20 and an oblong slot 22 1n the wa l of the hollowr head 5 coact and prevent said hollow sleeved head from revolving. The slot, beinglonger than the stop, which is oval in shape, admits of the necessary movement of the sphere in the socket for adjustment of the propeller shattto a desired angle. Means are provided for lubricating the working parts of said device by tubes 23 see Fig. 2) passing from the interior of the oat into the working parts of the device.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise details of construction herein shown and described, except as' I may be limited b v the terms of the ap ended claims for I am aware that minor c anges may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I am aware that a stuing box with a socket and ball is not broadly new, but I am not aware that a universal joint combined with a stern bearing with a socket and sphere tion with a stern` bearing for a propeller shaft comprisin a flanged spherical seat, and a flanged clamping cap having registering bolt apertures in the flanges thereof, bolts passi throu h said apertures for securing said t and cap together and to the object to which itis to be attached, said cap and seat when connected forming a socket, a hollow `spherical head mounted in said socket and rovided with a tubular extension, a revo uble connecting chuck arranged in said head and extension and having an an lar ta ered cavity in one end and a. ci); indrical ore in the other end, a driving s aft having an angular ta ered, end engaged with"the cavity of said) chuck, a convex washer arrange on said shaft Within Said socket to close the? aperture in said spherical seat, a sleeved ca engagingthe s eeve of said head, means or connecting i propeller Shaft with said chuck, a packing cap engagin the sleeve of-said sleeved cap, an means or preventing said packing cap from revolvin with; the propeller Shaft.

2. An outsie universal Joint in' connection with a stern bearing for a pro cller shaft comprising a flanged spherlca seat and a flanged clamping cap having registerin bolt apertures in the flanges thereof, bo ts passing throu h said apertures for securing-said seat am? cap together and to the object to which itis to be attached, said cap and seat when connected forming a socket, a hollow spherical head mounted in said socket and provided with a tubular extension, a revoluble connecting chucklarra-nged in said head and extension and having an :m01 lartapered cavity in o'ne end and a cyfin rica] bore 'in thepother end, means for. securing said chuck i"V operativeposition, means or sccurin a pr pellershaft' in said chuck, lsaid spherical head having an elongated recess in one wall thereof, and an oval projection formed on the inner face of said clamping ca in position to en age the recess of said liead whereby said h against turning While permitted'to mo-ve longitudinally.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto set -my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFONZO DAVIS ROBBINS.4 Witnesses:

Encan C fBnnnLL,

THOMAS Columns, Jr.

ead is held 

